Assighob to the



July 13,1926. W. D. KMENTT APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES IN ORDERLY ARRANGEMENT Filed July 6, 1925 Patented July 13, 1926.

W'ALDEMAR D. KMENTT, OF AKRON, OHIG, ASSIGNOR '10 THE F. GOGDRICI1 COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORL URATION' OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRENG ARTICLES IN C-RDEBLY ARRANGEMENT.

Application filed July 6, 1925. Serial No. 41,710.

This invention relates to the art of manipulating, handling or transferring articles in orderly arrangement, as in placing the nailretaining washers of rubber heels upon the washer-supporting pins oi the molds in which the heels are vulcanized.

Heretoi'ore the washers, at a station apart from the mold, have been brought into relative positions corresponding to those of the mold pins by means of an inclined,recessed distributing plate, and then transferred in a group to the mold pins by means of a field of horseshoe magnets adapted to hold the respective wasl'iers against their lower faces, and the washers, aitter seating upon the respective pins, have been caused to remain thereon, while the magnets were withdrawn, by the weight of non-magnetic metal sleeves sun-retarding the respective magnets and lowcred onto the washers before the witl'idrawal ot the magnets.

In such procedure, so far as I am aware, the magnet has contacted only the central ortion ot the washer, the margin of the usher projecting therefrom so as to be abutted by the non-magnetic sleeve to dislodge it from the magnet, and the sleeve has been caused to bear upon the washer with only its own force of gravity and inertia, which has prevented the use or" very strong); ng nets and consequently has resulted in ii fluent dropping of washers from the magnets. The similar grouping of the magnets and of the mold pins has had to be very accurate to pe mit the numerous washers to be guided sin'iultaneously onto the respec- "ve pins, and iiretpiently a considerable pere of the washers have failed to seat ropely upon the pins or have fallen into mold, between the pins, which has repreceding vulcanizing operation.

general object is to provide improved 1 -o edure and apparatus for operations such.

as that described. More specific objects are to provide for more complete and uniform eiiiectiveness of the several washer-manipulating units in transporting the Washers and seating them upon the pins, and to provide for successful operation notwithstanding inaccuracy in the positions 01 the mold pins such as is usually present in the heel molds used, especially atter they have been in serv ice for some time. I

in attaining these objects I have discovered that the imperfect operation of the prior apparatus described has been due large y to the fact that the magnet contacts only the central portion of the washer, with the iargin of the washer projecting beyond the magnet, so that when a slightly misaligned mold pin strikes the washer at a d ice from the latters center it may exert :torce upon the washer and dislodge from the magnet instead of propcring the hole in the Washer, the

being backed, from above, only by contacting its central portion. overcome this dii'iiculty by employt oi such size and shape as to more strongly and to contact considera portion of the outer margin of the washer, more cilectively backing abilizing the latter aaainst the force of -center mold pin. 1 nnd that the mag not can be given subst ntial play in its support, so to permit the washer to guide itself onto the pin, especially when the washer is of the conical type and consequently provides the aligning efiect of its tunnel-like inner surface in addition to that of the tapered end of the pin, and also especially when the washer is backed near its outer margin, instead of at its center, against the force of the pin.

i or holding the washer upon the pin While the magnet is withdrawn I provide a clamping bar of non-magnetic material such as i zinuni mounted between. the poles oi the Lagnet and adapted to contact the central iortion of the washe' to clamp it upon the in, the bar being formed with a recess in s lower end to accommodate the upper end of the mold pin.

1 provide positive means for holding the bar upon the washer, which permits the washer ,to be positively and securely held upon the pin by the bar while the magnet is withdrawn and also provides, in the picking up oi the washers from the distributing plate, for positively holding the washer in the recess of the plate until the magnet is lowered onto the washer, so as to avoid jumping of the washers into contact with the magnets and consequent inaccuracies in the positioning o1" washers on the magnets.

The provision of positive means for holding the clamping bar against the washer, and also the mounting of the clamping bar within the magnet, permits the use of relatively large and strong magnets.

Ialso provide improved means for raising and lowering the field of magnets with relation to their plungers, adapted to avoid accidental dislocging of the washers from the magnets during the transferring oper-. ation.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a washertrans ferring device embodyingand adapted to carry out my invention in a preferred form, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 isa sectionof the same on line 22 of Fig. 1, partsbeing shown in QlGVatlOD' and broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section, on line 33 of Fig. 1, of the device. as. it appears when presented to the distributing plate, the latter being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 1- is a-vertical section of portions of the t 'ansferring. device and distributing p1ate,showing one of the washer-manipulating unitsgin the Washer-receiving position of Fig. 3, but on a larger scale.

5 is a similar section showing the later stage atwhich the magnet has been lowered onto the washer.

Fig. 6 is asimilar section showing the next stage, at which the clamping bar has been raised with relation to the magnet and the latter, with the rest of the transferring device, has been raised from the distributing plate, the washer being held by attraction to the magnet. v

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of parts of the transferring device. and the heel mold, showing one of the washer-manipulating units as it appears when the washer is introduced to the mold pin.

Fig. 8 is a similar section showing the next stage, when the clamping bar has been lowered and is held against the washer.

9v is a similar section showing a later stage, at which the magnet has been lifted from the washer, the latter being held upon the mold pin by the clamping bar.

Referring to-the drawings, the washerdistributing plate is shown at 10 and is formed with recesses such as that shown at 11, said recesses being positioned in the plate in: accordance with the relative positions ofthe washer-receiving pins, such as that shown at 12,.in the heel mold 13.

Each recess 11 is so formed with a sloping entrance and with vertical walls as to permit conical washers such as that shown at late pass into and out of the recess without lodgmg when the base of the washer is up permost, but to catch and retain a washer,

andpreferably only one, passing into the recess with its base downward, when the plate, 'mounted in an inclined position, is shaken to cause a supply of washers dumped. on its higher margin to slide down over its inclined upper surface. Pilot holes 11. preliminarily formed in the plate 10 forthc drilling of the recesses 11 serve to permit the escape of grit and dirtfrom the recesses.

The washer-transferring device comprises two upper clamp-actuating plates 15, 16 held spaced apart by spacer blocks such as 17, 22 and 31 and by marginal flanges formed on the two plates respectively and secured together in. telescoped. relation by means of. rivets 18, 18. A lower, magnetsupporting vplate 19 is formed with a marginalflange 20- telescoped upon that of the plate 16 to guide it with relation thereto in its-relative vertical movement. Racks 21, 21are secured to the upper face of the plate 19 and eaclrrack slidably extends upward through apertures in the plates 16, 15 and a spacer block 22 between the two, andv through a guide sleeve 23 secured to and rising from the uppermost plate 15, means being provided for actuating said racks to. raise and lower the magnet-supporting plate 19' with relation to the clamp-actuating plates 15, 1G.

For positioning the transferring device upon the distributingplate 1O adowel pin 24, formed with flanges 25, 26, .is mounted on the transferring device ateach corner thereof and is adapted to enter a guide bushing 27 mounted in the distributing plate. The flanges 25' are adapted to rest upon the bushings 27 130 limit the movement oftheplates 15,16 toward the distributing plate 19at the respective corners of the device and the flange 26, admitted in the assembling of the device, through an aperture 28 in the plate 19, serves to clamp against the lower face of the plate 16 a flanged washer. 29, the four washers 29 being adapted to limit the relative upward movement of the plate 19 at the four corners of the device, and the flange 26 serves to sustain the force of a nut 30 screwed onto the upper end of the dowel 24F. and. clamping the piates 15, 16' against a spac'er block 31.

The mag-nets, of the horseshoe type, are shown at 32, 32. Each is mounted with substantial play in an aperture in the plate 19 and is formed with a taperedly apertured supporting head 33 surface ofsaid. plate, the tapered aperture being. designated 33.v The annular, lower face of the head is preferably beveled as shown clearlyatfiet in Fig. 5 and the aperture in the plate 19 is complementally bev- V eled, as shown at.85, Fig. 5, in order that the magnet-willrcenter itself therein when hanging-from theplate.

The. clamping bars are shown at 36, 36. Each? is mounted with substantial. play in an aperture in the plate 16, extends with resting upon the upper the washers is broken, after which the entire transfer device is lifted from the mold, leaving the washers upon the pins. Each magnet, although strongly magnetized carries onlv a single washer, so that all of the washers may be simultaneously clamped against the shoulders 12" of the mold pins by the weight of the entire device upon the clamping bars, and both the clan'iping force and the relative lifting of the magnets are positive.

By the improvements descrihec I have ohtained greatly improvedresults, as set out in c'entage of pins successfully supplied (ly the above introduction, both as to the perwashers at each operation and as to the tolerances permitted in the relatim pol-aliens of the mold pins and also as to accidental dropping of washers during the transferring operation. 1

Various modifications may be employed without departing from the scope of my mvention and I do not Wholly limit my claims to the exact'construction or procedure described.

I claim: y l

1. Apparatus for manipulating articles of magnetic material, said apparatus 0 mprising .a magnet for lifting the art1cle,'means adapted to contact the upper face of the article for dislodging it from the magnet, the magnet being adapted to contact the article on substantiallv opposite sides of the dislodging means, and a common mounting for the magnet and the dislodging means.

2. Apparatus for mounting washers upon mold pins, said apparatus comprising a horseshoe magnet adapted to lift the washer while contacting it near its outer periphery,

and a non-magnetic member adapted to contact the upper face of a more central portion of the washer to dislodge it fromthe magnet.

3. Apparatus for mounting washers upon mold pin-s, said apparatus comprising a horseshoe magnet for lifting the washer and a non-magnetic member slid ably mounted be tween the arms of the magnet and adapted to contact the washer between the poles of mold pins, said apparatus comprising I a magnet adapted to contact outer marginal; portions of the washer and a non-magnetic member adapted to contact the upper face of a more central portion of the washer to dislodge it from the magnet, and means for so pendently supporting the magnet and the dislodging means as to permit them to be moved laterally by contact of the mold pin with the washer to align the latter with the pin as it is lowered thereunto. Apparatus for mountingwashers upon mold pins, said apparatus comprising a magnet for lifting the washer and adapted to contact its outer marginal portions, a nonmagnetic member adapted to engage the upper face of a more 'central portion of the washer to dislodge it from the magnet, and means for positively effecting relative washer-dislodging movement of the two,

7. Apparatus for n'iountin'g washers upon mold pins, said apparatus comprising a plate, a set of magnets mountedthereon and adapted to lift respective washers to transfer them to the pulse second plate mounted to slide toward and from'thejiirst said plate in registered, parallel relation thereto',a set of washer-dislodging .n'ien'ihers n'iounted upon the second plate and -adapte'd to dislodge the washers from the magnets, and means operatively connecting the two plates to move them from and toward each other, the last said. means including a pair of handle memhersand drivemeans positively connecting the two handle members to compel them to move'equally. v 8. Apparatus as defined in claim '7 in which the plate-actuating means comprises a pair of racks and gearing positively connecting said racks. V r I 9. Apparatus for mounting washers 'upon mold pins, said apparatus comprising a plate, a set of ntiagnets'mounted thereon and adapted to lift respective washers to transfer them to the pins, a second plate mounted to slide toward andv from the first said plate in registered, parallel relation thereto, a set of nusher-dislodging' members mounted upon the second plate and adapt-ed to dislodge the washers frorn the 1nagnets,'a11d means operatively connecting the twoplates to move them from and toward eachother, the last said meansincluding a pair of handle members adapted to be turned in opposite directions on horizontal axes to effect a single relative movement of the plates. 

